Japanese prosecutors on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former US special forces operative and two other people accused of helping former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn jump bail and flee the country.

The prosecutors also issued a warrant for Ghosn for leaving the country illegally, after he escaped to Lebanon via Turkey last month.

Warrants were issued for Michael Taylor, 59, reportedly a former US special forces operative-turned-security consultant, 26-year-old Peter Taylor, who local media identified as his son, and George Zayek, 60.

They are suspected of taking Ghosn to a hotel in Osaka, western Japan, and hiding him inside a case before taking him to Kansai airport where they allegedly helped him evade a security inspection.

The warrants are the first official confirmation of the reported details about how Ghosn slipped past security and jumped bail shortly after Christmas.

Japan prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for three men accused of helping Carlos Ghosn skip bail and flee the country
Japan prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for three men accused of helping Carlos Ghosn skip bail and flee the country AFP / -

Ghosn has refused to confirm or deny the various reports on how he gave Japanese authorities the slip.

The escape of perhaps the most high-profile suspect on bail in Japan left officials red-faced and they have demanded Ghosn returns to face trial.

Lebanondoes not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and faced four charges of financial misconduct, which he denies.

He has said he did not believe he would get a fair trial, and accused Nissan executives opposed to his plans to integrate the firm further with its French partner Renault of effectively cooking up the charges against him.

Japan Criminal Law